Finding value in the late rounds of your best ball draft is paramount to success, particularly if you are drafting a team for Underdog's $10 million Best Ball Mania contest. If we look back at the winning roster from last season's Best Ball Mania, there isn't anything truly spectacular at the top of this draft. However, drafting Rashaad Penny and Amon-Ra St. Brown in rounds 14 and 15 proved to be million-dollar picks.
What players have a chance to be this season's best late-round sleepers? We have 10 names, all with an ADP of 120+, that stand out as the top sleepers for 2022 best ball drafts.
There are, on average, 27 QBs drafted in your typical season-long best ball draft. Most owners will typically take 2 QBs in the first 12 rounds, making QB sleepers less critical than the other three best ball positions. However, whether you draft 3 QBs or are just looking for a late-round flier with a ton of upside, there is one name that stands out to us.
Daniel Jones
Team: New York Giants Best Ball ADP: 162
If we simply assess Daniel Jones from the point of view of Brian Daboll, there is an argument to be made that he will end up being the best QB sleeper this season. We know Jones can do some things similar to Josh Allen. He's big (6' 5", 230 lbs), can run, and like Allen, has shown flashes over his first few seasons, but has yet to live up to his draft hype.
Daboll also has plenty to work with in New York including a healthy Saquon Barkley and a solid group of pass catchers. Prior to last year's disaster, Kenny Golladay averaged over 70 YPG in his previous 3 seasons with the Detroit Lions. Kadarius Toney was the 20th pick of last year's draft and flashed why he was taken so high in the Cowboys game last season. Lastly, this offensive line is ready for primetime. LT Andrew Thomas was great last season, and rookie Evan Neal will provide a massive upgrade at RT.
Daniel Jones was a top 10 fantasy QB through the first month of last season, and we are betting on Brian Daboll to get the most out of him for a full season in 2022-23.
Best Ball RB Sleepers
Hitting on late-round running back picks can be tough. The majority of best ball backs that are drafted after round 11 that end up paying off require some sort of injury to pan out. Injuries are nearly impossible to predict, but we think there are three RBs going late in best ball drafts that may not need an injury to crack your lineup this season.
Tyler Allgeier
Team: Atlanta Falcons Best Ball ADP: 143
There have been a number of reports out of Falcons camp to indicate a running back other than Cordarrelle Patterson will be handling early-down work this season. Given the other back in Atlanta, Damien Williams, has only topped 50 carries once in his 7-year career, we are willing to be Allgeier ends up getting the early down work at some point this season.
Allgeier was ridiculously productive at BYU, racking up over 3,100 yards and 36 touchdowns while averaging 6.5 YPC over his final two seasons. Early reports out of camp have Allgeier already working with the starters and offensive coaches have referred to him as a potential bell cow on numerous occasions. There is a ton of upside here for a guy who is currently going in the 12th round of best ball drafts.
Kenneth Gainwell
Team: Philadelphia Eagles Best Ball ADP: 146
Gainwell finished as RB45 in his rookie season but looks poised to take a big step forward in year two. We know Philadelphia has a stable of backs that will be involved, but of the group, Gainwell clearly has the most upside.
The team wants to utilize him in all high-leverage situations including third downs and goal line situations. He scored double-digit points in five games last season and we think big games could make him a best ball hero, given you won't take the hit in weeks where he doesn't find the end zone.
Raheem Mostert
Team: Miami Dolphins Best Ball ADP: 187
Raheem Mostert feels like a preseason trap every year, and we are falling for it once again. He clearly fits Mike McDaniel's scheme perfectly, could end up winning the job outright this preseason, and as one of the fastest players in the league, he's a guy that can crack your best ball lineup with only a handful of carries.
With Hill and Waddle on the outside, whoever Miami's back ends up being is going to see favorable boxes this season. Mostert is a guy that thrives in these types of situations as his speed makes him lethal once he gets to the second level. As a round 15+ pick, you can't go wrong stashing him at the end of your bench.
Best Ball WR Sleepers
Wide receiver is the one position that has several late-round sleepers finish in the top 40 (every week starters) most years. This group included players like Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn, Tim Patrick, Cedric Wilson, Elijah Moore, Allen Lazard, Gabriel Davis, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Here are four receivers we think are way undervalued at their current 2022 best ball ADPs.
Kenny Golladay
Team: New York Giants Best Ball ADP: 121
Our line of thinking with Golladay is clearly similar to Daniel Jones. The Giants' offense was stuck in a terrible scheme last season, and injuries at nearly every position made it tough for them to really get anything going.
Golladay put up 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns in his last full season with Detroit and should be one of the primary beneficiaries of the coaching change in New York. I recently drafted him in the middle of round 11 in an Underdog best ball draft. For a guy that was the number 3 fantasy receiver in his last full season, there is clearly a ton of upside getting him that late.
Joshua Palmer
Team: Miami Dolphins Best Ball ADP: 132
If you are looking for a second-year receiver ready to break out, Joshua Palmer is your guy. He is the clear #3 WR in LA, and the Chargers lined up in three-receiver sets on over 65% of their snaps a year ago. He is the perfect best ball sleeper as he is a big play receiver in an explosive offense.
You are almost guaranteed to get a handful of big games out of Palmer this season, and if either Williams or Allen misses time, he could finish the season as a top 40 WR.
Devin Duvernay
Team: Baltimore Ravens Best Ball ADP: 203
The Ravens enter 2022 with 45% of last season's targets and air yards available. While Rashod Bateman is likely to see a massive uptick in usage, Devin Duvernay should also see an expanded role in this offense. As a sub-4.4 receiver that can work in space, and has shown a willingness to catch the ball over the middle of the field, Duvernay could surprise fantasy owners this season.
Duvernay is currently going in the final two rounds of best ball drafts and could prove to be one of the best values taken in that range.
Josh Reynolds
Team: Detroit Lions Best Ball ADP: 216
Reynolds was cut mid-season by the Tennessee Titans and ended up in Detroit where he was reunited with Jared Goff. Mid-season moves like this rarely have fantasy relevance, but Reynolds averaged 65 YPG with 2 touchdowns in weeks 12-15. Two games of Tim Boyle would end his run, but that momentum has carried over into this offseason where Reynolds has been the star of Lions' camp.
Like both Palmer and Duvernay, Reynolds is a speed receiver capable of making explosive plays. He looks like a lock to start the season opposite DJ Chark, with Amon-Ra St. Brown moving into the slot. It is worth noting that Detroit has one of the best, if not the best, offensive lines in football. This should give Jared Goff the time needed to find Reynolds downfield early and often this season.
Best Ball TE Sleepers
The tight end position has been brutal over the past few seasons. If you miss on one of the few consistent performers that go at the top of drafts, you are left picking at scraps in the later rounds. However, if you add one of these two tight ends to your roster late there is a chance you find a top 10 TE sleeper capable of cracking your lineup several times this season.
Hayden Hurst
Team: Cincinnati Bengals Best Ball ADP: 178
We thought Hurst was poised to break out in his first year with the Falcons. However, he was targeted only 88 times and finished the season as TE12. The team added Kyle Pitts in the offseason, and Hurst quickly became an afterthought.
Now in Cincinnati, Hurst steps into a role that managed to make C.J. Uzomah fantasy-relevant last season. With the big 3 receivers on the outside, Joe Mixon coming out of the backfield, and Joe Burrow pulling the strings, this may finally be the year Hurst breaks out as a fantasy asset.
Austin Hooper
Team: Tennessee Titans Best Ball ADP: 184
As is the case with Devin Duvernay, Hooper will benefit from the number of targets available in this Titans offense, and similar to Golladay, he is only a few years removed from being a top 5 fantasy asset at the position.
With an offensive line that struggled last season and a completely new set of receivers, Hooper may end up being relied on heavily as Tannehill's safety valve. He's currently going late in round 15, as the 20th tight end off the board, so there is little risk in adding him as your TE2 and hoping he can regain the fantasy form we saw in Atlanta.
Aaron White graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Economics. His industry experience includes projects for the Chicago Cubs, The Sporting News, and QL Gaming Group. He covers the NFL and NBA for EatWatchBet.
